Supporting structure for the mechanisms and/or dials of clocks



H. JUNGHANS July 9, 1940.

SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR THE MECHANISMS AND/OR DIALS OF CLOCKS Filed July 1, 1938 G WA N U. J W T o W M L E H Patented July 9, 1940 PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR THE MZECH- ANISMS AND/OR DIALS OF CLOCKS Helmut Junghans, Schramberg-Sulgen,

* Wurtemberg, Germany Application July 1, 1938, Serial No. 217,070 In Germany June 23, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a supporting structure for the mechanisms and/or dials of clocks, and more particularly alarm clocks having 'a circular casing, and also .to a method of producing 5 supporting structures of this nature.

Heretofore these supporting structures, more particularly in alarm clocks having a circular casing, have been furnished with an annular form. The ring serves for the attachment of the .dial, and also to support the same, which is particularly necessary if the dial consists merely of cardboard. On the annular support it has been usual to provide lugs for the attachment of the clockwork mechanism and for the attachment of the support in the casing. Generally speaking, these supporting structures are produced in a stamping operation. Obviously, however, from the point of view of manufacture, an annular stamping is extremely unfavorable, as in each 539 case there is the circular waste piece of considerable size removed from the centre, whilst waste pieces of gusset-like form result between each two adjacent stampings.

It is the object of the invention to overcome the drawbacks referred to, residing in the necessity for maintaining a large stock of material, in unnecessarily large quantities of material passing between manufacturer and consumer, in loss of interest on capital and the like, and to pro- 39 vide a supporting structure for the purpose in question which can be produced in a stamping operation with a minimum of Waste.

In the accomplishment of this object the invention accordingly comprises a method of proand/or dials of clocks, and more particularly alarm clocks having a circular casing, which consists in stamping out the structure in a form in which its arms, legs, bridges and like parts are 40 disposed in close proximity to one another in a plane, so that they enclose between them a minimum of waste inner area, and thereupon imparting to the said structure its final form following the stamping operation by moving the said arms, legs, bridges and the like apart in the said plane.

A supporting structure which is particularly adapted in its form for production by the meth od referred to includes a bridge portion which 50 proceeds from the centre of the dial and forms the body of the supporting structure and possesses arms and legs for the attachment and support of the dial and the clockwork mechanism, the said arms and legs being situated close up 55 against the body, i. e., in adjacent disposal to one ducing supporting structures for the mechanisms another, so that the stamping possesses a substantially rectangular form.

The invention is illustrateoby way of example in the accompanying drawing, which shows a supporting structure adapted for use in an 6 alarm clock having a circular sheet metal casing.

Fig. 1 shows the supporting structure in its form following the stamping operation, whilst Figs. 2 and 3 are a general view and elevational view respectively of the said supporting structure 10 in the finally completed form.

The supporting structure referred to generally as a possesses a bridge b proceeding from the centre of the dial. This bridge terminates in attachment lugs c, which in the manner usual in supporting structures of this kind is secured to the sheet metal casing by means of the bush for the stopping lever.

The bridge 17 forms at the same time the body of the supporting structure, from which there 0 extend the arms at and the legs c. On the legs there are bent attachment lugs j which, in the usual fashion, are screwed to the casing by means of the legs of the alarm clock. For attachment purposes there are provided in the lugs c and f threaded holes g. In the body I) and the legs 2 there are provided holes 72 for the dial rivet i. The dial Z, which is produced in the conventional manner from a piece of cardboard, is indicated in broken lines in Figs. 2 and 3. For the attachment of the clockwork mechanism there are provided in the supporting structure holes is, through which screws having sunk heads are screwed into the ends of the members m indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3. As shown in the drawing, the leg of the supporting structure on the right possesses a special small arm e1, over which there is located the attachment hole 70.

The supporting structure is preferably stamped out in the form shown in Fig. 1. The arms are in close proximity to the body b, and the legs e are also close together, so that the outer marginal line of the stamping encloses a minimum inner area, whilst by reason of its substantially rectangular form there is only a narrow piece of waste material q between two adjacent stampings. The total waste area is indicated in Fig.

1 by cross-hatching.

Preferably upon the stamping operation the attachment lugs c and f are simultaneously bent vertically. In an additional operation the arms d and the legs e are bent off from the body 12 until they assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

Experience has shown that the arms and the legs can be bent quite readily in the cold condition if care is taken that sharp corners are avoided at the bending points and a proper rounding r is produced. The clockwise mechanism is screwed to the supporting structure in the usual fashion, to which there is also riveted the dial. The bridges b and c extending from the centre of the dial in star-like fashion together with the arms (i provide a sufficient support for the dial, so that this is unable to warp and the ring cannot stand away from the glass.

The use of the method according to the invention is not limited to the production of supporting structures for clocks. It can be used for the production of substantially fiat frames or supports of a desired kind. This method, for example, can also be used with advantage forproducing the cover plates of clocks, as it is exactly in the case of cheap clocks produced in large numbers, and particularly alarm clocks, that these cover plates possess numerous openings and consequently require the use of an unnecessarily large amount of material.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A supporting structure for the mechanism and/or dials of clocks, particularly alarm clocks having circular casings, comprising a frame member having a bridge extending from a center point and which forms the body of the frame member, arms and legs integral with and in the same plane as the bridge and extending from the bridge, said arms and legs being substantially parallel and close to each other and to the bridge and capable of being adjusted to angular positions relative to the bridge in the same plane thereof to conform to the particular casing and mechanism to which the structure is to be adapted.

2. A supporting structure according to claim 1, in which three supporting lugs are provided integral with the frame member at right angles thereto of which one consists of an extension of the bridge adjacent the part where the arms join the bridge and one on the end of each leg.

3. A supporting structure according toclaim 1, in which there are two arms and two legs provided symmetrically arranged relative to the bridge.

, HELMUT JUNGHANS. 

